


A Place To Call Home

by a1_kitkat



Category: Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman
Genre: Episode Related, Established Relationship, M/M, One Shot, Secret Relationship, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-09
Updated: 2014-06-09
Packaged: 2018-02-04 00:36:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1760871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a1_kitkat/pseuds/a1_kitkat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daniel receives a job offer and considers whether to accept it</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Place To Call Home

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers: S06E12 "The Homecoming"  
> This fic is set during the season 6 episode 'Homecoming' and contains scenes /dialogue direct from the episode so if you're unfamiliar with the episode, I suggest re-watching it before/after reading this
> 
> Warnings: Tis my first DQMW fic... So apologies if it's not very good... Is also un-betaed
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, nor am I in any way connected to CBS etc 
> 
> Originally posted to Livejournal: Jan. 11th, 2011

Daniel re-read the telegram in his hand twice more before folding it and placing the piece of paper into his pocket. He looked up and watched as Matthew placed another decoration to the railing of the church. Daniel smiled to himself, thinking over the words of the telegram but not taking his eyes off Matthew.

It was a tempting job offer; he sometimes missed the manual labour that came with working the gold mines… Yet he’d also come to enjoy the life he was making for himself in Colorado Springs. He was the town’s Sheriff; He was close to Sully & Michaela and the kids; and Matthew. 

He’d spent years building his friendship with Sully but in the few months he’d been in Colorado Springs, he’d formed a similar friendship with Matthew. Daniel wasn’t sure if friendship was the best word to describe it. He’d grown close to the younger man; closer than he could ever admit, out loud, to anyone.

For a moment, he lost his train of thought. He felt himself blushing, having almost been caught staring at Matthew, but realized it was the Reverend who was looking his way.

 

For the next hour, they worked in silence to finish decorating the Church. The telegram weighing very heavily on his mind but he remained focused on the task at hand. His friend didn’t need an answer right away; he would take the time to think about it… Think about what he would be gaining, but also what he would be losing.

 

*

 

Matthew slowed his horse and made his way over to the Sherriff’s office. He could see Daniel outside, a hammer in hand, hanging up more decorations.

 

“Looks good” Matthew began.

Daniel turned and looked up at him.

“Uh… Thanks” he smiled and turned to admire his handiwork as Matthew climbed off his horse. “I didn’t want this being the only place in town without the Christmas Spirit”

 

The younger boy moved around, reins in hand, and tied them to the banister. He looked up and buried his hands in his pockets. Suddenly he felt nervous as he approached Daniel.

 

“If you don’t have any plans… We’d like you to come out to the homestead and celebrate Christmas with us” Matthew managed to say.

“Well I can’t refuse that” Daniel replied, looking into Matthew’s eyes and smiling at him. The younger boy felt his heart skip a beat. “Sure beats spending the holidays at the boarding house”

Matthew glanced in the direction of said building.

“How long you planning on staying there?” he asked the older man. “I mean, you’ve got all that land out there… Ever think about building a homestead on it?”

“Nearly everyday” Daniel smiled.

“Why don’t you?”

“I don’t know… I… Ever since I was a kid, I was always moving around a lot. Never could seem to settle down in one place for very long. Always thought I’d outgrown it but…”

Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper which he handed to Matthew.

“Guess I haven’t”

 

The younger man read the telegram with curiosity. He didn’t really take in the exact words as his hand began to shake. He got the basic premise of the telegram; this ‘friend’ wanted Daniel to leave Colorado Springs.

Matthew handed the paper back to Daniel and attempted to make small talk. He didn’t want to sound desperate but he had to say something.

 

“I’m still only thinking about it” Daniel explained.

“Is that your way of saying you’ve got nothing keeping you here?” Matthew asked him.

“Now I didn’t say that”

“But you are thinking of leaving… Of leaving me”

 

Daniel looked around but no one appeared to be watching them. He turned and walked towards the door to the Sheriff’s office. They both went inside and Daniel moved towards the desk. Matthew looked over at the empty jail cell.

 

“I really don’t know what to say” Daniel said.

“Neither do I” Matthew replied.

He reached for Daniel’s hand but the older man moved away from his grasp.

 

“Matthew, we can’t go on like this” Daniel tried to explain to the younger man.

“So you think it’s best to leave? To leave the town? To leave me?” Matthew didn’t like the tone of his own voice.

“What we have… It’s not right…”

“But it feels right”

 

The younger boy was almost right in front of him. Another few inches and they would be touching. Despite what he’d just said, Daniel’s hand came out and he slid his arm around Matthew’s waist. The young blonde closed his eyes. He could feel Daniel’s body pressed against him.

Matthew leaned in, lifting his chin and gazing up into Daniels’ eyes. He reached up and ran his gloved fingers over the Sherriff badge that Daniel wore on his chest.

 

It was all the invitation Daniel needed. He covered the little space between them, capturing Matthew’s mouth with his own. A small whimper passed the younger boy’s lips and Daniel was forced to break the embrace. He reluctantly pulled away, leaving both of them wanting more.

 

“Daniel” Matthew whispered.

“We can’t” Daniel replied, trying to place some distance between himself and the temptation of the younger man.

“Please?”

“No”

He didn’t like the way Matthew was looking at him. It was too much and he knew that if he didn’t walk away then he would get carried away. Whenever he was around the younger man, he lost all sense of self control which led to taking risks. Right now wasn’t the time for taking chances; anyone could walk in or past the window and see them.

 

“Daniel” Matthew began.

“I said No” Daniel replied. “Not here, not now”

“But-”

“We can’t… I…”

Daniel reached up and gently stroked the young blonde’s cheek. Matthew leaned into the touch but it vanished almost as soon as it started.

“I have to go”

 

Daniel turned on his heel and walked away, as fast as he could. Matthew stayed frozen in place. He knew he should be used to the older man’s erratic behaviour but it still hurt especially now that Daniel had succeeded in arousing him.

The younger man waited in the empty office for the next few minutes, willing his excitement away. Once the coast was clear, he moved outside and saw Hank, Loren and Jake outside the General Store. They were all looking at him. He nodded his head in greeting then made his way over towards the Clinic in hope of finding Colleen.

 

**--**

 

The following day Colleen and Katie watched while Brian and Matthew hunched over their project. Colleen kept an eager eye on her sister while her brother’s worked.

None of them saw Daniel approach so he caught them all by surprise.

 

“Hey” The older man greeted them

“Daniel” Matthew replied, fear in his eyes.

Colleen and Brian quickly stepped in front of the table, Matthew joined them.

“What cha doing?” Daniel asked, gazing down at them from horseback.

“Thought you were going out to the McFarlane place?”

“I did by the time I got out there, Logan and Muriel had already kissed and made up” Daniel dismounted. “She didn’t want me to arrest him anymore”

He smiled that smile of his that always sent Matthew weak at the knees. “Making something?”

 

The three Cooper’s looked around, frantically.

“No” Matthew replied as Colleen said “Yeah”

Daniel looked at them, uncertainly.

“We’re doing some chores for Robert E… While he and Miss Grace are in New Orleans” Brian explained.

“That’s mighty nice of you” Daniel said.

Matthew needed to distract the older man.

“Daniel, can I talk to you?” Matthew asked as he moved away from his brother and sisters.

“Sure”

 

The two of them fell in step, walking side by side.

“Did you give anymore thought to that telegram you got from your friend?” Matthew asked him.

“Yeah, I did” Daniel replied. “But I… Uh… I’m going to wait until Sully and Michaela get home and talk about it with them”

“Good”

“Ahhh, listen… In case you’re wondering… The folks around here, they don’t want you to go” Matthew said to him. “And neither do we”

As he said it, he wanted to state the absolute truth... That *he* didn’t want Daniel to leave.

The older boy looked over at Brian, Colleen and Katie.

“Well thank you” Daniel hesitated. “Matthew… Thank you”

 

There was a brief moment where neither of them knew what to do next. Daniel reached out for Matthew’s hand and quickly shook hands in a brief goodbye.

 

Daniel walked away, glancing back over his shoulder at Matthew. The younger boy caught his eye then quickly looked away. He’d meant what he said to Daniel, they didn’t want him to leave and Matthew hoped the older man would chose to stay… Stay for him… Stay with him.

 

**--**

 

Daniel was standing up the top of the ladder, staring out over the town square. Many of the townsfolk were lined the street, waiting to decorate the tree he had just helped to set up.

“Perfect” Daniel stated. “Now let’s get it decorated”

He could see Matthew, Colleen, Brian and Katie all staring up at him. He shimmied down the ladder then made his way over to the Cooper’s.

 

“First thing tomorrow morning, we’ll go out and get a nice big tree for the homestead” Daniel said to them, looking down at Brian.

He reached out and shook Matthew’s hand. He’d been doing that a lot lately but knew he had no choice. He couldn’t sever all physical contact with the blonde but if he touched him too much then he could get carried away.

 

Daniel looked over and saw a wagon stopping. He walked over and helped the elderly passenger down. She smiled, gratefully, at him. The Sherriff was such a kind man, such a fine upstanding citizen. She told him as much and he smiled his thanks.

He wondered how she’d react if she knew the kinds of things he’d done with Matthew. He knew what they were doing was wrong but he couldn’t help it. Daniel felt something for Matthew, something he shouldn’t feel and he knew he should fight it but he didn’t want to.

 

The townsfolk spent the next few hours decorating the large tree. Daniel moved through the crowd, talking and laughing with so many people. The people who’d elected him as Town Sherriff. The people who’d made him feel at home… The people Matthew had grown up with.

Every single person whose eye he met seemed to look right into his soul. Each one seemed to be saying ‘Stay here’. Then he’d blink and he’d remember his time working in the mines, searching for gold. Sure he didn’t need any more of it but it was a job he’d loved. More than the one he was doing now? He wasn’t sure.

 

*

 

Daniel heard a knock at the back door of the Sherriff’s office and cautiously opened it. The woman who walked in was one he recognized by sight but didn’t know her name. She was one of Hank’s girls that much he knew, but he wasn’t sure what she was doing here at this time of night.

He was immediately on his guard but he knew she wasn’t a threat. Her tone was casual yet he knew she had a secret agenda.

 

The Sherriff offered Sadie a coffee and was relieved when she accepted. He moved over and picked up the pot. She moved up behind him and touched his arm. He tried not to recoil, curious to see what she was up to.

 

He should have realized sooner, as soon as she walked into the gaol cell. Daniel also should have known better than to follow her in there. Once she locked the door and tossed the key aside, his insides started to churn.

Sadie moved towards him and he quickly thrust the cup of coffee into her hand. She accepted it and he led her over to one of the cots, sitting himself down on the other one.

 

It didn’t take long for him to coax a genuine response from her. Daniel knew it wasn’t her idea to trap him in this cell and she openly stated that Hank had put her up to it.

 

“I am sorry” She apologized. “I really don’t know why he has it in for you”

“He doesn’t like that the townsfolk voted me Sherriff and not him” Daniel replied. “I was an outsider. I moved here to help Sully when he needed me”

“He’s a good man” Sadie insisted. “Maybe not all the time”

“Some of the time then”

“He threatened to fire me if I didn’t come over here and seduce you. I tried to explain that no woman in this town had managed to catch your eye yet… He told me I needed to try harder”

Daniel nodded his head and decided to turn the conversation on her. He engaged her interest by enquiring about her family.

 

They talked long into the night and Daniel quickly forgot they were locked up and why it had come about. Sadie was a nice woman who’d fallen on bad times and was struggling to pull herself back up. He didn’t even think twice once the idea popped into his head.

Sadie was hesitant at first. She wasn’t used to accepting money from men for nothing but Daniel was a kind, trustworthy man. They talked about it for a long time, she was insistent that it was only a loan and that she would pay him back some day.

Once the terms were settled, they both lay down on the small cots and prepared to go to sleep. Daniel lay awake long after Sadie drifted off, her words echoing through his mind.

“But you do have a home” she’d told him. “Right here”

He closed his eyes, knowing she was right.

 

*

 

The following morning, Daniel and Sadie awoke to the sounds of footsteps and gasps. The both sat up and looked around. Dorothy, Jake, Teresa, Hank and a few other people had squeezed themselves into the small Sherriff’s office. Dorothy and Teresa were looking at him in shock; Jake appeared to be smirking despite his confusion; Hank was standing behind them, grinning to himself.

 

Daniel asked Dorothy to pick up the key and unlock the door. She did as requested, slightly unable to speak. Daniel pointed out which key would open the door then he and Sadie were free.

Hank looked gleefully happy with himself until Sadie moved forward and declared that she was quitting her job at the Saloon. Hank’s grin vanished at the realization he was loosing one of his best girls. Not one to be pushed around by him anymore, Sadie quickly defended herself. She went on to explain how Daniel had loaned her train fare out of town and that he was a kind man to do so.

 

Sadie stormed out and Hank quickly followed her.

“Much obliged” Daniel said to Dorothy before moving towards the door.

Once outside, he began to pull on his jacket. He saw a wagon approaching. Matthew and Colleen were in the front, Brian stood in the back. Katie, settled in her sister’s arms, smiled down at him.

 

“Hey Daniel” Brian greeted him. “Ready to go get that tree with us now?”

“Yeah sure thing Brian” Daniel replied, smiling. “Think you got room for me back there?”

“Sure” Brian said as Daniel approached the wagon.

 

Matthew was the first to see Hank as he came up behind Daniel and pushed him as hard as he could.

“Daniel, you go no right” Hank stated as the Sheriff stumbled and Matthew leapt down from the wagon.

“Hold on Hank, I didn’t talk her into anything” Daniel replied. “She made that decision on her own”

Hank pushed Daniel once more.

“I am tired of you getting in my way” Hank said.

“Well then stop crossing my path” Daniel replied.

 

Hank stepped forward and pushed Daniel again.

“I’m not going to fight with you, Hank. It wouldn’t settle nothing”

“You got no choice”

 

“Come on, Hank” Jake spoke up. A small crowd had formed around the two of them. “Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve”

“Stay out of this, Jake” Hank said, his eyes never leaving Daniel’s.

He moved back towards Daniel and shoved him a fourth time.

“I’m not fighting with you Hank” Daniel insisted.

 

Hank threw the first punch followed immediately by a second. Daniel didn’t miss a beat and quickly defended himself by throwing a punch back at Hank. The bar tender lunged at the Sherriff and the two men toppled over a table, landing at the base of the town’s Christmas tree.

They continued to wrestle, Hank in the offensive position with Daniel pinned to the ground beneath him. Matthew was the first to reach them and quickly pulled Hank off of Daniel.

The Sherriff climbed to his feet as Matthew pushed Hank away. He then turned and moved back to Daniels’ side.

 

“Are you alright?” Matthew asked him.

“Yeah, I’m fine… I’m fine” Daniel replied. “More than I can say for these ornaments”

He held up a broken decoration, a look of disappointment on his face. He reached out and placed his hand on Matthew’s shoulder. The rest of the townsfolk moved forward and started to pick up the other ornaments.

 

Daniel slowly moved away, heading in the opposite direction Hank had gone. He’d barely made it a few steps before he realized someone was following him. For a brief moment, he thought it was Hank.

 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Matthew asked him.

Daniel stopped and turned around, looking at the younger man. Matthew was holding Daniel’s hat in his hand.

“I’m fine, really” the older man replied.

“You dropped your hat”

Matthew held it out for him and Daniel slowly reached out, taking it from him then placing it back on his head.

 

“You know, you have to admire his determination” Daniel said. “He really doesn’t like me”

“Hank doesn’t really like anybody” Matthew replied.

“I know he’d be happy to see me gone”

“He’d be the only one”

Matthew’s tone was harsher than he intended.

“Now, Matthew, calm down” Daniel eased. “I still haven’t made up my mind yet”

“You sure are taking your time” Matthew replied.

“It’s a big decision… I don’t want to make the wrong one”

“I hope you’re not going to let Hank scare you off”

Daniel lowered his voice as he stepped closer to the younger man.

“Maybe he’s not the one I’m scared of” Daniel replied before turning and walking away.

*

Daniel still went out with the Cooper’s and Katie to find a Christmas tree for the homestead but he didn’t say much to Matthew while they were out looking. He was thankful to have the younger kids around as it didn’t give him a chance to be alone with Matthew.

This annoyed the younger man. He was confused by what Daniel had said to him and was eager to question him. He tried several times during the morning to engage him in conversation but to no avail.

 

*

 

Later that night, Daniel was helping to set up the tree in the living room when there was a knock at the front door. Matthew went over and opened it. He was surprised to find Dorothy on the front porch. She complimented their beautiful tree and Brian stated that they were waiting for Dr Mike and Sully to come home before decorating it.

 

“You mean they’re not here?” she asked, surprised by the news.

Her reaction was lost as Brian spotted Cloud Dancing in the doorway.

“Cloud Dancing!” he exclaimed as he hugged the Indian.

“What are you doing back?” Colleen asked him.

“I couldn’t stay away” Cloud Dancing replied as Daniel reached out and shook his hand. “But I do not understand. Sully and Michaela left before me and I did not see them on the trail”

 

“Well, maybe they took another trail?” Daniel suggested.

“But why?” Dorothy asked.

“Well knowing Michaela and Sully, I’m sure they had a good reason” he kept his tone light, not wanting to alarm the children. Cloud Dancing realized what he was doing and played along.

“Yes, I’m sure there was a good reason” he agreed.

“Come on, let’s finish putting the tree up” Daniel said, trying to change the subject and distract the children.

 

*

 

The following day saw Cloud Dancing, Dorothy and Daniel out looking for their friends. By mid-morning, Cloud Dancing sent Dorothy and Daniel back into town. They agreed that sending out a search party would scare Colleen and Brian. The last thing they wanted was for the children to know they were worried.

 

By nightfall, Sully and Michaela were still not back. Matthew was worried and he knew his brother and sister were too. He tried his best to put on a brave face for them but he feared they could see through him.

He spent the day avoiding Daniel, the last thing he wanted was for the older man to see how scared he was. He feared something bad had happened to Sully and Dr Mike but if he admitted it, out loud, to someone, he felt that would only make it true. So he chose to keep quiet.

 

As he sat in the Church, listening to the Reverend deliver the Christmas sermon, he closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. He opened his eyes and looked to his left. Brian and Colleen were beside him, Colleen was holding Katie tightly in her arms. He’d never seen his siblings looking so sad on Christmas Eve before. It broke his heart knowing there was nothing he could do for them.

Matthew looked up and his eyes met with Daniel’s.

For a moment, he felt his heart stop. Not only could he do nothing for his brother and sister but he couldn’t do anything to stop Daniel from leaving him. Sure, he could throw himself on the ground and beg the older man to stay but it wasn’t his place. It was Daniels’ decision to make… Matthew didn’t have to agree with it though.

 

Before he knew it, the sermon was over and Matthew was following the rest of the townsfolk across the meadow and straight into the town square. Loren and the Reverend stopped at the base of the large Christmas tree and waited for everyone to join them.

 

“Gather ‘round, gather round everybody” Reverend Johnson said, smiling. “Matthew?”

 

“Yep” Matthew replied. He then hurried away and came back with a large board. He tried to keep his face impassive but he was nervous. It was his one chance to show Daniel how important he was, not only to him but to the whole town.

 

“Now before we begin any Christmas carols,” The Reverend continued. “I would just like to take a moment on behalf of the entire town to present a very special Christmas gift to our newest citizen Daniel Simon”

“Merry Christmas, Daniel” Matthew grinned and held up a large sign. Written upon it were the words ‘Daniel Simon: Sherriff’

“What?” Daniel exclaimed, smiling.

 

“Now we all know that Daniel came to Colorado Springs to help out a friend and that is the main reason he became our sheriff” Reverend Johnson said. “But now word has it he might be leaving”

Daniel cast a sideways look at Matthew. The younger man smiled at him. “Now Daniel you took this job to help Sully but will you keep it for us?”

“I told you they all wanted you to stay” Matthew said, looking into Daniel’s eyes.

 

The older man looked down at the sign then at all the faces staring at him. It was like each and every one of them was waiting to hear his answer.

 

“I want to thank you all for this gift and uh…” he paused then reached into his pocket and pulled out the telegram from his friend. As he spoke, his eyes sought Matthew’s and they looked at each other. “For giving me a place I can finally call home”

 

He held the piece of paper in both hands and tore it up. As he threw the scraps of paper onto the ground, he heard cheers and applause at his decision. Without thinking, he wrapped his arm around Matthew and hugged him. Colleen and Brian quickly joined them.

 

“Well, it certainly is a beautiful tree” Loren spoke up.

“Yes, it is” Dorothy agreed. “But it just doesn’t feel like Christmas without Grace singing”

 

Everyone fell silent as they all thought about previous Christmas’s. Daniel looked around at all the people around him. Their faces had all been alight mere seconds ago and now they were all sad. He looked down at Matthew, Colleen & Brian and he started singing.

 

*

 

Daniel and Dorothy accompanied the Cooper kids back to their homestead. Colleen, Brian, Katie and Dorothy travelled in the wagon while Daniel and Matthew lead the way on horses. Every few minutes, Daniel would catch Matthew’s eye and smile at him. The younger man would return the smile then shyly avert his gaze.

They didn’t say much during the ride. Both were worried about Dr Mike and Sully but neither of them wanted to voice their concerns. Every time Matthew looked at his brother or sister, he could see the worry on their faces. He tried to offer them reassurances but he felt that he wasn’t convincing them.

 

None of them ate much for supper that night. Every time one of them heard a noise outside, Brian would leap to his feet and run to the door but each time was met with disappointment.

As eager as he was for Dr Mike and Sully to return, Matthew also longed for a chance to be alone with Daniel. He wanted to talk to him, ask him what he was feeling and what had influenced his decision.

 

It was a welcome relief when they heard Dr Mike’s voice. Everyone was on their feet and there were hugs and kisses all around. But it was late and after sharing their tale with the family, Dr Mike told Brian and Colleen it was time for bed.

Matthew realized the homestead was going to be very crowded with Dorothy and Cloud Dancing staying on. He offered to spend the night out in the barn, much like he’d done back at the old homestead. Dr Mike tried to insist he stay inside but he declined.

 

He made his way outside, annoyed at himself for not trying harder to talk to Daniel before he’d left to ride back into town. Matthew walked across the path, shouldering a blanket, clutching a lantern in one hand and pushed open the barn door. Once inside he pushed the door to then started to climb the ladder up to the hayloft.

He was about halfway when he nearly fell from the ladder, someone was waiting for him. Daniel smiled then offered his hand to Matthew. The younger man returned the smile and allowed Daniel to help him from the ladder into the loft.

 

“What are you doing here?” Matthew asked him.

“I thought we should talk” Daniel replied.

 

Matthew nodded his head. He slowly removed his gloves and put them down on the ground. He looked up at the older man then leaned forward and kissed him. Daniel was prepared for this and he wrapped his arms around Matthew, holding him tightly and deepening their kiss.

After what felt like an age, they separated, both slightly out of breath.

 

“Are you sure about this?” Matthew asked him. “Are you sure you want to stay?”

“The town needs a Sheriff” Daniel replied. “And you did make me that nice sign”

“The whole town wanted you to stay”

“Except for Hank”

“He doesn’t count… But I’m really glad you decided to stay”

“I thought you would be”

 

Matthew’s hand was still clutching Daniel’s shirt; reluctant to release him from fear of waking up and discovering he was only dreaming.

“I… I’m not going to fool myself” Matthew said. “I know you didn’t stay for me”

“What makes you think that?” Daniel asked him.

“Because you said yourself, this is wrong… What we have… It’s not right”

“It feels right to me”

“When I said that, you tried to push me away”

“I was wrong”

“You’re just saying that”

 

Daniel hesitated. He reached up and unclasped Matthew’s hand, taking hold of it with his.

“Matthew, I know I hurt you” Daniel said. “I shouldn’t have pushed you away like that but… No one will ever understand this. No one will ever be on our side”

“Then we just won’t tell no one” Matthew replied.

“Matthew, you deserve better than me…” Daniel whispered. “You deserve a wife, someone who can give you children… A proper family and a life”

“I’ve been disappointed by that dream before” Matthew confessed. “With Ingrid and the promise of children… Then she was taken from me too soon and with her went my dreams of a family” he felt tears forming in his eyes but hastily blinked them back. “Then Emma came along and I… I started to dream of a life with her… Only to have her up and leave”

 

Daniel reached up with his other arm and wrapped it around Matthew’s shoulders. The young man had been through so much heartache already. His Pa walked out, his Ma died then his fiancée… It was any wonder Matthew could still see love in the world when he’d suffered so much loss.

 

“I really thought you were going to leave me too” Matthew whispered.

“I thought I was too” Daniel admitted. Matthew tried to pull away, ready to stare him down but the older man wouldn’t let him go. “I really thought you’d be better off if I were to leave but the more I thought about it, the harder it was to… To consider leaving you”

 

Matthew leaned he head back, looking up into Daniel’s eyes. He reached up, his fingers brushing the beard that covered Daniel’s chin. It was rough to the touch and felt strange when they kissed but it was a good kind of strange.

He leaned forward and covered the space between them, bringing their lips together in a gentle kiss.

 

“Will you stay with me tonight?” Matthew asked him.

“I thought that was why you came out here” Daniel replied. “Because you knew I’d still be here”

Matthew shook his head. “I just didn’t want to be in the homestead tonight… It’s pretty crowded with Colleen home and Dorothy staying over… Besides, I used to sleep in the barn”

“You did? When?”

“After my Ma died and we moved in with Dr Mike. She was living in a really small homestead and I didn’t want to be there. I insisted on sleeping in the barn and I did… Then when Dr Mike and Sully got married and moved here, Sully gave the old homestead to me as a gift. It was meant for me and Ingrid but… She died before we could get married”

 

Daniel nodded his head. He’d already heard most of this before from other people but it was nice hearing the details from Matthew himself.

“I’m sure they were both very nice” Daniel said.

“They were” Matthew agreed. “A lot of people in town were surprised when I fell for Emma… She was so different to Ingrid”

“And neither of them were much like me?”

“I don’t know… They were both very sweet, kind, caring, good with children… Brian and Colleen grew to love them both”

“And Michaela? Sully?”

“Dr Mike didn’t want me to marry Ingrid… Not at first but she came around in the end… Then, after I met Emma…” Matthew laughed. “Let’s just say she didn’t approve of her either”

“Because she was one of Hank’s girls?”

“Exactly… I’m not sure how she’d feel about you”

“At least I’m not one of Hank’s girls”

Matthew smiled.

“When Walt Whitman came to town and everyone found out about him… That his love was another man, they couldn’t get away from him fast enough. The only people in town who stood by them were Dr Mike & Sully”

 

As Matthew spoke, Daniel had reached up and was slowly unbuttoning his shirt. The younger man closed his eyes as Daniel leaned forward and kissed him.

As though spurred on by the knowledge that Michaela and Sully had been accepting of two men being together, Matthew and Daniel began to claw at each other’s clothes. If the people they cared about could accept their love then what they were doing couldn’t possibly be wrong.

 

Matthew lay on his back, staring up at the older man above him. His heart was pounding in his chest and he licked his lips in anticipation. He knew what was going to happen next and he braced himself. It never ceased to amaze him how something the hurt so bad could also feel so good.

He wrapped his arms around Daniel and pulled him close for a deep kiss. Then he could feel Daniel entering him. He winced in pain and clenched his fist.

Daniel reached up and gently stroked the younger man’s cheek. Matthew smiled back at him then kissed Daniel. He plunged his tongue into Daniel’s mouth, wanting the older man to know he was okay and to keep going.

 

They moved together as one, exchanging deep kisses as their hands explored each other’s naked bodies. All too soon, it came to an end as Daniel erupted inside the younger man. They were both left exhausted and panting for breath.

Daniel reached up and, once again, stroked Matthew’s cheek. The younger man looked at him sleepily and smiled.

 

“This is the best Christmas present I’ve ever got” Matthew whispered.

“Me too” Daniel replied.

He shifted his weight until he was lying beside the younger blonde. Reaching out and searching with his hand, Daniel located the blanket Matthew had brought out with him and he covered them both with it.

Matthew immediately curled up beside Daniel and closed his eyes.

 

“We’re not going to tell them, are we” Matthew said. Daniel knew it wasn’t really a question.

“No, Matthew” he replied. “We’re not”

“Some things are better kept secret anyway”

“Even if they do approve, the rest of the town won’t”

“I know they all wanted you to stay but…”

“But if they found out about us, they’d run me out of town with burning torches and pitchforks before I even had time to pack”

“I don’t want that to happen” Matthew whispered.

“Neither do I” Daniel agreed. “I like it here”

“Me too”

“Good night, Matthew”

“Merry Christmas, Daniel”

“Merry Christmas”

 

As they lay together, holding each other under the warmth of the blanket, Daniel placed a single kiss to Matthew’s cheek.

“I love you” he whispered, once he heard Matthew drift off to sleep.

“I love you too” the younger man replied, sleepily.

 

Daniel smiled and closed his eyes. He knew he’d made the right decision. In fact, he wasn’t even sure why he’d had to think about it. Everything he’d ever wanted was lying beside him and he couldn’t have been happier.

He fell asleep, smiling to himself, knowing this truly was the best Christmas of his life.

 

END


End file.
